Tuesday 23 November 2010

Eleven things I should have done

Kept my braces on, settle yourself, on my teeth, have you any clue how much it's going to cost me to have them repaired?

Learned how to enjoy cooking. Oh I can do it, it just bores the bejaysus out of me.

Not had 3 children in 4 years, that may have contributed significantly to my tiredness levels. Which are considerable.

Taught my children to be regular functioning humans, they are as capable now as they were at 4. Yes, I know that is my fault.

Kept my house in Edinburgh and rented it out, it'd be worth shedloads now.

Learned to type properly and not be afeared of technology.

Got an iphone instead of my crackberry

Twitter, I keep thinking I should join in but I just can't be arsed.

Thought slightly more about how much I hate traffic and driving before I accepted a job that necessitated my driving across 5 counties.

Saved some money, not to the detriment of all enjoyment, just a wee bit, for a rainy day.

Had a slightly more planned approach to life, all right, any kind of a plan would be welcome.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ach, there's no point repining now my dear! What's done is done, write off the past then draw up a plan for the next couple of months and refine it gradually as you go to cover longer - you can always change it as things alter. You have plenty of time to sort things out. I have a plan of sorts; I have yet to do a lot of it and have deleted things that will never happen, but I have done some of it including yoga, saving a few groats for my old age and forcing the kids to the theatre for civilising influences that did not involve Ant and Dec or Davina McCall. I also conned them into cooking while I helped them with their homework - it is where I was so they ended up peeling spuds or stir sauce while I tested them on their french/history or whatever.

Gigi said...

I don't think you can learn how to enjoy cooking - either you do or you don't. It's something you are born with.

Anonymous said...

Why would you have gotten the iPhone instead of the Crackberry? I NEED to know, as I'm musing over which one to get for my next phone!

auntiegwen said...

Alienne - I fear I get a bad mummy badge here, I tend not to test them on anything. I did help EBD with Sociology A level revision but there is no way in hell that she could do more than 1 thing at a time if thinking was involved.

Gigi - it's just a means to an end and I fear all 3 of mine will grow up with that attitude as all I do is mump and moan about it

Pinklea - as we all know I am a technological numptie I do nothing on my phone except text, talk to people, read emails and take photies for my blog. I didn't buy the iphone because I thought all the apps would be wasted on me, the crackberry is fine for what I do but I think I now prefer the bigger screen for looking at photies and I think the camera is better on the iphone. This is not a real proper thought review but if apple want to send me one...

libby said...

Re-visiting the past is only nice to do once in a while for a short time....if we start to think 'should have' we go demented..and then we don't enjoy the here and now...I had lots of that in my menopausal years!! NOT that that relates to you Auntie...but given your circs you are probably feeling regretful about stuff now...this will pass....you have beautiful children and don't touch your teeth!! see you sunday x

Muddling Along said...

But what other wonderful things have you done whilst you haven't been doing these?

AGuidingLife said...

cooking shmuking..eat out!
I wish so hard I could have had 3 children in 4 years..swap ya!
You should have heard the argument about football boot cleaning in my house..she will not do it for love nor money.
Rental property is a bind not a gold mine.
I laernt 2 touch tipe and it got mi nowhear.
yep!
Step away from twitter..it is a time absorbing waste of time with yet more strangers.
yep!
Nope..see number 1!
Plans smams, they just go wrong..no plan=nothing to break :0)
Have a nice week :0)

Sueann said...

Children always get us down...just the way of it. So don't fret...they will get the hang of it...eventually. Mine is 42...he finally gets it! Ha!!
Happy Thanksgiving
Hugs
SueAnn

Kitty said...

Oh GOD auntigwen, I hear you, I relate so much, my life is page after page of regrets, "why did I turn left instead of right?" Why did I say that to him/send that e-mail/text? Why did I stop my diet/exercise program? Why didn't I just stick out University?

WHY???

Because at the time it seemed like either the best choice or the only choice. Now I must live with the fallout, it's rather the cards I dealt myself, so, I spend a lot of time saying, "Go fish." It tears me up, completely, if I let it. So, I try not to, if I start listening to Coldplay and James Blunt, I know it's time to pull out The Stones or Spike Milligan and get over it, I've done deep medicated depression in the past, it just made me fat, unfeeling, lethargic and humourless.

Look... we are this side of the flowerbed, so, it can only ever be better that THAT. xx
(Hugs)

I find that bitching about it sure helps me, my dear. Ü

Expat mum said...

Shoulda coulda. I know we all know it's a bit pointless to dwell on what you should have or could have done, but let's face it, we all do.
Definitly with you on the cooking one. And don't bother with Twitter.

Curry Queen said...

Lord! Only 11 things? I can think of about two hundred and eleven that I should have done....!

PurestGreen said...

This post made me think about a lot of things in my life. Like the fact that I have no savings. It's one of those things I tell myself I'm going to do and then year after year goes by.

But I also agree with Alienne. It it worth focusing on things you can't change now? If you make a list of 11 "should haves" then make an equal (or longer) list of things you are glad you have done.

Big squeeze from Edinburgh. :)

auntiegwen said...

Libs - yeah I know, I'm grand really :) see you Sunday x

MaM - ah that's tomorrows post :)

S - oh I hate cleaning boots too, rugby in this house but still covered in mud

SueAnn - my mum probably thinks that about me! x

Kitty - never ever listen to James Blunt, life's way too short for that :) big hugs to you mon amie xxx

Expat Mum - but all the cool kids tweet :( I've probably missed the boat on that one now

CQ - yeah but it's November the month of eleven, I'm a slave to my theme darling ;) x

Purest Green - you're so right, you've inspired me to do my 11 good things for tomorrow. Lots of love you in bonnie Edina xxx

Taz said...

Ah it was only yesterday, the day before and the day before that and probably every day from now until my darlings leave home that I was regretting not sticking to my guns about getting the smalls to do chores when they were younger. Now they're bigger and you'd think I asked them to scrub the house from top to bottom daily. I was told yesterday I was nagging for insisting that they put their clothes IN the dirtly linen box and not dump it by the side of it. Aaaaggh!

auntiegwen said...

Taz - it's exactly the same here, I get used cups and plates left in the sink beside the dishwasher or on the worktop above the dishwasher but in the dishwaher? no go. And like you say if you ask them to put stuff in the right place they look at you like you've asked them to go up and sweep the chimney!

Looking for Blue Sky said...

There's so many things I should have done, but my attitude is that it doesn't really matter. And your kids sound wonderful, so I don't think there's anything you should have done differently with them xx

auntiegwen said...

LFBS - oh I give you the edited highlights, one day I will post pictures of their bedrooms!!! with a warning beforehand of course